Hope Elixir Tag
by LOTSlover
Summary: Tag to Elixir exploring thoughts Kahlan and Richard had during that episode as they deal with their growing feelings for each other. Prompt by Deacon at CSS.


**TITLE****:** Hope (Elixir Tag)

**AUTHOR****: **LOTSlove®

**CHARACTERS****: **Richard / Kahlan

**RATING****: **PG-16

**TIMELINE****: **Anything up through S2 season finale (Tears)

**DISCLAIMER****:** I'm completely obsessed with Richard and Kahlan and love to write about them even though they cancelled my show and now I'm fighting to get it back!

**SUMMARY****: ** Prompt by Deacon at CSS. Tag to Elixir exploring thoughts Kahlan and Richard had during that episode as they deal with their growing feelings for each other.

**Hope** (Elixir Tag)

The gentle sound of the waterfall as well as nature's chorus was completely lost on the Confessor as she stepped out of her long white dress. Her mind was too wrapped up with thoughts about her handsome Seeker, the man that was rapidly winning her heart despite her best efforts.

Peering over her shoulder, Kahlan unsuccessfully craned her neck for one final glimpse of Richard as he ran through his training exercises with Zedd. Leaving to take her bath, she had paused for several moments within the protective cover of the forest, watching the Seeker as one piece of fruit after another fell by his blade.

She had become completely mesmerized by the skill and gracefulness with which he moved, the way that his muscles tensed and relaxed with each turn of his sword. The innate ability with which he fought never ceased to amaze her. He was truly gifted, the one true Seeker.

Testing the water with her toe, Kahlan still could not get the image of his perfect form, his tanned flesh glistening in the sun from sweat as well as the sweet juices of the fruit that he was doing battle with. She felt a sudden rush of heat erupt from her core before coursing through her veins.

She found herself wanting to touch him, to clean the pieces of fruit and juices from his flesh with her lips and tongue. Her breath began to quicken with the thought. Her nights were increasingly filled with dreams about what his kiss tasted like, how his touch felt against her skin.

Did he dream of kissing her as well?

Renn had told her not to be afraid, that it would be alright. She truly wished with all her heart that she could believe him, but he was just a boy. He didn't know what she was, what she truly was capable of doing to a man's soul should she ever lose control.

And since meeting Richard, she had already begun to feel the subtlest hint of quivering in that iron will of restraint. From the moment she had met him, Kahlan had felt an immediate bond with him unlike anything that she'd ever experienced.

Plunging beneath the water, Kahlan attempted to purge herself of the forbidden thoughts that flooded her mind, to wash away the temptation of something that could never be and yet her heart was already beginning to rationalize.

There were times that Kahlan felt as if she could conquer these growing feelings she had for her Seeker, to put them to death once and for all. But then Richard would look at her with those eyes…those deep brown eyes and she couldn't fight the way her heart would constrict ever so subtly in response.

She even found herself giving him a smile in return, a special one that she gave to no one but him. It was a shared look that hinted of something more without giving away too much. She wanted him to know that she cared about him and yet at the same time the very notion terrified her to her core.

From the moment she had met him, Richard had created a tangled knot of emotions deep within her that she had yet to unravel. She felt alive for the first time in her life, feeling things that she had never felt before, feelings that she didn't quite understand.

She'd always been so guarded, leery of allowing others to get too close to her. Her magic had created a lonely barrier, separating her from others. But Richard Cypher was unlike anyone she had ever met. She wanted to share things with him, to make him smile, to bring him as much happiness as he had brought her. She found herself wanting to be near him every chance she could get, to hear his laughter or to stare into those eyes.

There was a fire deep within her belly that she'd never felt before Richard. It was unsettling yet so thrilling at the same time. She found herself smiling when she didn't even know that she was, opening herself up to him a little more as time passed, thinking about him more than she knew that she should.

Finally rising to the surface, her lungs burning like fire for the oxygen denied, Kahlan gasped for air, finding her thoughts still completely occupied with her Seeker. Wiping her eyes, she sighed in resignation. Her heart was attempting to wage a battle with her mind, one that she knew logic must win in the end.

But how was she ever going to be able to fight what was steadily overtaking her heart?

Smiling to himself, Richard sheathed his sword as he began to make his way through the woods towards their horses, a sense of satisfaction filling his every step. He hadn't believed Zedd's rambling instructions at first, but he had focused his thoughts, seeing what was unseen in his mind's eye.

And the outcome had been extraordinary.

No matter how many times Zedd told him that he was the prophesied Seeker of Truth, Richard still struggled to believe it. Feelings of inadequacy still lingered at times in the deepest corners of his mind, threatening to shake his faith.

His roots, his life as a wood's guide did nothing to provide confidence for this other life that he been thrust upon him. Being around Kahlan, though, made him want to be so much more than what he was.

Since the first moment his eyes met those brilliant blue orbs, Richard knew that his life would never be the same. There was just something so amazing, so captivating about her. He found himself thinking about her all the time.

Being close to her somehow didn't seem close enough. Brushing against her hand wasn't touching her nearly enough. A glance didn't last quite long enough when all he wanted to do was to completely lose himself in her sapphire eyes.

Renn had told him that Kahlan felt the same way as he did about her. Why then was she so tentative around him at times? He knew what he felt in his heart for her was so much more than just a crush. As a Listener, he would have seen that as well.

Renn had told him that Kahlan was afraid of hurting him with her magic. Richard had spent countless nights since then trying to figure out what she was so afraid of. What could her magic possibly do to hurt him?

Richard never wanted Kahlan to be afraid especially of hurting him. Even though he hadn't known her very long, he somehow found himself trusting her more than he had ever trusted anyone in his entire life.

She had completely charmed him from the very beginning and he never wanted to be set free.

Grabbing his things, Richard made his way towards the water, dropping his towel and wiping the sweat from his brow. He began to remove his vest as he turned, his attention immediately captured by the breathtaking scene before him.

Richard felt his breath hitch, his heart race as his gaze fell upon the nude form of his Confessor. There suddenly didn't seem to be enough air to breathe as time came to an abrupt standstill.

So entranced by her, all thoughts of guilt or wrongdoing were completely lost on him. He watched as she ran her fingers through her wet hair, separating the long strands as they fell against her bare back. His gaze roamed her creamy flesh, taking in the feminine curve of her hip and over her bottom, following the trail down her long legs.

Kahlan was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

And then she turned, her blue eyes meeting his and everything seemed to come to life once more all around him as time suddenly broke free from the standstill it had come to.

"Richard!" she cried, taken aback by the presence of her Seeker.

Suddenly struck with the realization of what he had been doing, Richard fought for the words that would not come, his mind still reeling with what he had seen in an attempt to justify his actions.

"Uh…I'm…sorry…" he stammered, immediately looking away in guilt.

"Richard, what are you…" Kahlan asked as she attempted to cover herself.

"I'm sorry…No, sorry…I, uh…I…I didn't know that you were there," he replied in embarrassment, completely flustered as he kicked at the dirt, angry with himself for what he had just done to the one person that he cared about most.

"Richard," she began again, fighting back the warmth that tried to reach her cheeks as she grabbed her towel. "Someone is stealing our horses!"

"What?" he asked, trying not to meet her gaze as he fumbled with his shirt and towel.

"The horses!" Kahlan cried, pointing at the thief who was riding away.

Turning, Richard took off in a dead run.

Picking himself up off of the ground, Richard growled under his breath, angry with himself for watching Kahlan when he should have looked the other way, furious for allowing their horses to be stolen by a boy.

Coming up the path with Kahlan in tow, Zedd was already spouting angrily at the Seeker and he hadn't even reached him yet.

"I was distracted," Richard huffed in response as he raised his arms in frustration, allowing them to fall limply to his sides.

"What on the prophets of the earth could have distracted you?"

Richard turned, casting a glance at Kahlan as she passed behind him, an awkward look shared as he searched for a viable explanation. How could he possibly tell Zedd that he had been distracted by his naked Confessor or that he had been watching her?

"He was just a boy…couldn't have been any older than sixteen," Richard grumbled in exasperation. "Was I supposed to kill him?"

Coming to stand beside and slightly behind him, Kahlan attempted to keep her eyes focused down the path the boy had taken their horses, not wanting to make eye contact with Zedd. She could feel his gaze flickering from Richard, to her, and then back to the Seeker in suspicion.

She cast a sideways glance at Richard, her thoughts spinning with so many things. How long had he been there? How much had he actually seen? Did he like what he saw?

By the look on his face when she had first caught him, he seemed to have enjoyed the view. It caused a shock like electricity to shoot through her with the memory of the expression she had seen on his face, the look of longing that had filled his eyes.

Instead of being angry with him, Kahlan found that she was almost glad that he had found her like that, had caught a glimpse of her without her clothes on.

"Number five then!"

"Are you making these up?"

"Which way did he go?" Kahlan interrupted their arguing, suddenly anxious to get moving.

"Southeast," Richard replied, nodding his head down the path.

"He's riding for Dundrill," she informed them.

"Perhaps someone there will be kind enough to sell us back our horses!" Zedd angrily yelled.

Handing Richard his shirt, Kahlan turned to follow Zedd, uncomfortable with the fluttering feelings swarming around inside of her. She kept her gaze focused ahead, her pulse quickening, feeling his eyes on her. She found that she liked the way that he made her feel.

"Uh, Kahlan…uh, about back there…at the river," he said, attempting to find the words that would make everything alright between them once again. "I didn't see anything."

Kahlan couldn't help the smile that tugged at the corners of her lips, amused by his attempts to smooth everything over. Even if she didn't have her powers, the look that had permeated his eyes earlier had told her the truth.

"Richard, you should never lie to a Confessor," she softly smiled as she glanced at him.

Richard stopped momentarily in his tracks as he watched his Confessor walk away, taking in the gentle sway of her hips. Memories of what he had seen just moments earlier drifted through his mind and sparked his arousal once more.

He quickly took off after her, her words suddenly piquing his curiosity. He realized that he really didn't know anything about Confessors, about what her abilities truly were. He had strange feeling that there was much more to Kahlan than what he knew.

XXX

"Richard, really you don't have to do this," Kahlan softly protested, feeling her insides growing warm sitting this close to him.

"I want to," he insisted as he began removing the bandage from her arm.

Sitting on a log with Richard kneeling before her, Kahlan felt as if her heart was going to pound out of her chest. She knew that she needed to pull away, to tell him that they must stop this now. But he was here and despite Zedd's warning, she really didn't want him to leave at the moment.

Richard…these feelings…these shared experiences with him – it was something that she had never known before. It was exciting but so dangerous, something that she needed to put an end to. But she took great pleasure in how he looked at her, loved the exhilarating feelings that filled her when he was near her.

No one had ever looked at her the way he did, no one had been so at ease around her like him. Unlike everyone else, he held no fear of her. And she found herself drawn even more to him than ever before.

Richard carefully unwrapped the bandage, his eyes glancing up to look at her beautiful face as she watched him work. The feelings that she had created within him were unlike anything he'd ever known before her. He already knew that he would risk everything, even his very soul, to be with her.

He still couldn't believe how the good spirits had allowed her to come into his life. He felt that she had feelings for him as well despite how guarded she was now. She had come close to admitting it out in the field by the temple.

Kahlan had said that it wasn't just because he was the Seeker that she wanted to protect him. His chest had constricted with her protest, telling him that it was more than that. He had been anxious to hear the words that he wanted so badly to hear. But then the villager had appeared, calling for help and the moment was lost.

Richard's brow furrowed as he inspected the deep gash in her arm. Pouring water into a clean cloth, he began to gently dab at the wound, wondering what had drawn her back inside her shell again. Had something happened earlier that suddenly made her so hesitant around him now?

"Richard, I'm fine…really…" Kahlan tried again. "Zedd can heal it tomorrow after he's rested."

"And until then, I will take care of you," he told her with a smile as he gazed into her eyes, putting an end to her insistence. "Besides, you took care of my injured arm when Renn was with us. It's only fair I take care of you now."

He watched as the smile she only gave him touched her face. It always caused his heart to flutter when she smiled at him like that, arousal to stir in the pit of his stomach.

The feel of his touch so gentle and caring sent tingles through her body. She drew a deep breath in an attempt to quiet her heart. He was so close she could almost feel the brush of his breath, his scent so intoxicating that it made her head spin. She was always so in control, held a tight grip on her heart, but when she was around him, she found herself wanting to lose control.

Kahlan cast a fleeting glance to the Wizard sleeping on the outskirts of their camp. Even with his back to them, she still felt as though he was watching them, a warning lighting his eyes and reminding her of the dangers of allowing this to progress.

"I'm so relieved it wasn't anything worse than this," he muttered, shaking his head as he finished cleaning the wound. He was just thankful that Rhymus had been there to help protect her.

Kahlan couldn't help but let her eyes roam over him as he worked, taking in his eyes and nose, his defined jaw and the stubble that lined it, his lips that she wanted to taste. Her eyes followed the path of his throat to the pendant hanging around his neck.

She couldn't help the faint smile that ghosted over her lips. Richard had been so thrilled when she had returned his pendant to him. Having come from his father, she knew how much it meant to him and she was not about to let him lose it to that barmaid.

The happiness that had lit his eyes when she had given it to him had lit her heart. She knew in that moment she would do everything in her power to bring him all the happiness in the world.

Kahlan winced as he applied the herbal salve, the burning sensation radiating up her arm. Feeling her tense, Richard paused, remembering how much it stung at first. His heart had nearly stopped its beating altogether when he had seen the blade slice her arm.

"Sorry," he murmured, his other hand softly stroking her arm as he waited.

Releasing his hold on her, Richard reached for a clean bandage from his pack. He hated to let go of her. He loved the feel of her soft skin beneath his touch, being this close to her. It wasn't often that he had the opportunity to be this close to her. He just wished that it was under different circumstances.

Carefully wrapping her wounded arm, he felt the deepening urge to kiss her, to pull her into his arms and show her what beat in his heart for her. Tying the bandage, he looked into her eyes, finding her gaze locked on him. He swallowed hard, finding it difficult to think.

The emotion that permeated her blue eyes pierced directly to his heart. There was a sense of sadness mixed with something more. It was as if she wanted to say something to him, but couldn't find the words.

"Kahlan, I…" he began, wanting to tell her how he felt.

"Thank you, Richard," she softly said with a small smile as she quickly stood to her feet.

"You're welcome," he replied with a sigh as he watched her walk away from him, feeling as though another moment between them had just come and gone. He was determined, though, to make sure that he would not let the next moment slip through his fingers…she would not slip through his fingers.

Something more was going on with Kahlan, something that he didn't fully understand, but one thing he did know. He loved her and nothing in this world was going to get in the way of that or his hope of a future with her.

**THE END**


End file.
